It's taken me a long time to truly appreciate peppers. The typical pepper -- bell pepper, green pepper, red pepper, or sweet pepper -- is great for garnish: it’s large, bright, and crisp. But otherwise, there’s not much to it. At least, so I thought.

The trick is heat. When the pepper (green, yellow, or red) is baked, roasted, or grilled, the heat brings the pepper’s innate sweetness to the forefront. It goes from a crispy, seemingly trivial and watered-down piece of vegetable in its raw form to a tender, juicy, and ever-so-slightly sweet addition to any plate.

Not to mention the health benefits of bell peppers. They contain (and in particularly concentrated amounts) capsaicin, folates, alpha-carotene, flavonoids, anticoagulants, and vitamin C, all of which have been proven to be effective in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (among a slew of other health benefits). And, of course, they're basically no carb.

Should you be eating more bell peppers? Yes. Should you be eating them whole, rather than a few diced pieces here and there in your salad? Absolutely. Eating an entire pepper may not sound like the most appetizing food choice. But look no further than this stuffed pepper recipe to change that mindset.

You can fill your pepper with all sorts of savory flavors. Some recipes call for beef and cinnamon for a heavy, spicy taste, while others mix chiles and lemons with minced chicken for a lighter, more zesty flavor. There are also plenty of seasoning options (think: basil, garlic, vinegar, spices) you can add to any recipe.

The strength of flavor, though, in this particular dish is like no other. The pork, in this instance, is highly flavorful: it’s seasoned with tomatoes, rosemary, onions, and garlic. You can’t get much more decadent than that.

Low Carb Stuffed Peppers with Seasoned Pork

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 large tomatoes
• Grated parmesan (as much as you want)
• 6 red peppers (or any color pepper)
• 12 oz ground pork

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400* F. Peel and chop your onion, then throw into a large, shallow pan with olive oil over medium heat. Let the onion soften in the pan without browning.
2. Slice the garlic and chop the rosemary, then add both to the pan alongside the onion.
3. Chop the tomatoes and stir in. Cook the mixture until the tomatoes lose their texture and meld with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the ground pork. Then, remove from heat.
4. Cut the peppers in half. Remove the seeds, then place them in a pan of boiling water and cook, 6-8 minutes (or, until they begin to soften).
5. Remove the peppers from the pan and place them and place them on a baking sheet on their backs. Spoon the pork mixture into the peppers, then drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle parmesan on top.
6. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until sizzling.